Documentary to revisit 1962 execution of J’can man in Britain

Ubuntu Productions and the Black River Film Festival (BRFF) have officially secured the rights to adapt the true story of Oswald Grey, the last black man executed in Britain. They have also partnered with Yaad Bridge Entertainment for the production of the upcoming documentary on the little-known tale of the young Jamaican immigrant executed in 1962.

The adapted story is based on the research and book, Who Killed Oswald Grey?, by British author Jon Berry. Berry’s efforts, which included numerous interviews and months of investigation, unearthed a compelling case that had all but disappeared from public consciousness.

The documentary, entitled The Last Rope, will bring to global audiences what has been deemed one of the most overlooked and troubling cases in British legal history. Grey, who was just 20 years old, had been in England for only two years when he was executed after he was convicted of shooting newsagent Thomas Bates in June 1962. The entire legal proceedings was shaped within the racial tensions of 1960s Great Britain, with his trial lasting less than a week and an appeal that was dismissed in under an hour.

Filmmaker and CEO of Black River Film Festival, Dr Ava Brown, told The Gleaner that the case is even more poignant as it happened in 1962, the year of Jamaica’s independence, and raises urgent questions about justice and race. “This project stands on the shoulders of Jon Berry’s work. Without his persistence, this story might have remained hidden for another generation. It also represents the power of storytelling to challenge historical narratives. Through this documentary, we are opening up a global conversation about historical accountability.”

Berry’s book explores critical gaps, contradictions, and unanswered questions in the case, many of which remain unresolved to this day because, despite his efforts, key documents related to the case remain sealed by the British state until 2062. This further intensifies global interest in the story.

Brown further stated that though it happened in Great Britain, it is actually a Jamaican story rooted in migration and identity and reflects the lived realities of Caribbean communities abroad. “This is not just about connecting the record; it’s about confronting the past, understanding the present and ensuring that stories like this are never buried again. For decades, this story existed in near silence. Bringing it to the screen is about more than history. It’s about giving voice, dignity and visibility to a life that was overlooked for far too long.”

Yaad Bridge CEO Sherando Ferril joins the project as the writer and co-director, and is set to fly to London to film, conduct interviews, and source additional footage for the documentary. Alongside renewed scrutiny of the Windrush generation and calls for reparations and repatriation, the story of Grey resonates with undeniable urgency. This historic adaptation will transform Berry’s research into a cinematic experience designed to engage audiences locally and globally, while sparking critical conversation. It will also open space for dialogue around whether Grey’s remains – still buried within a British prison – should be repatriated to Jamaica, offering a measure of dignity, long denied.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com